Featured Brunch: Applewood

Michelle Kiefer — March 12, 2010

Roasted Vermont Pork Sandwich at Applewood in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Applewood is a neighborhood brunch favorite amongst Park Slopers that retains a cozy atmosphere despite its popularity. The menu, which is full of consistently delicious dishes, is seasonal and constantly changing, with ingredients sourced from local farmers. You can count on expertly done brunch classics, like Brioche French Toast with Honey Maple Syrup, as well as omelets stuffed with seasonal produce, and some creative meat dishes.

More Photographs of Brunch at Applewood >>

AlwaysInformed: Dim Sum Deal at Jing Fong

Arthur Bovino — March 09, 2010

Clockwise from top: Jing Fong in Chinatown, Beef and Shrimp Shao Mai, food carts, Tapioca Dessert.

An escalator up a passageway lit by crystal chandeliers spills you out into a vast, gilded dining room filled with blue neon, and table after table. There is a constant chatter in Cantonese, and different smells rising in clouds of steam from carts as they pass through the crowd.

So it is at Jing Fong Restaurant on Elizabeth Street, the Chinatown dim sum hotspot with an enticing weekday special (left) that should not be forgotten. Just be wary of the small print: “All promotions are subject to change without notice.” A meal can end with haggling the bill as if you had been transported to a market in Hong Kong. Even if you think you may have paid a few extra dollars for being a gweilo (foreigner), you can still walk out feeling as if you are about to burst with dim sum without having spent a fortune. It’s especially fun for a long lunch, if you can get away from the office.

For those who haven’t been, the more adventurous rites of passage include: Chicken Feet with Black Bean Sauce, Boiled Pig Stomach, and Honeycomb Tripe. Everyone seems to find at least one of these dishes enjoyable— at Always Hungry that’s the Tripe (chicken feet involve too much work for too little payoff). It may not be as pretty as some of the versions we love around town, but it’s still good.

More Dim Sum Photographs >>

Featured Brunch: Momofuku Ssäm Bar

Arthur Bovino — March 05, 2010

From top clockwise: English Muffin French Toast with Thyme Rum Sabayon and Benton’s Ham, English Muffin with deep-fried soft poached egg, and Pork Scrapple.

Momofuku Ssäm Bar may not be the first place you would think of for brunch, but it kind of makes sense for a few different reasons. First off, their menu is filled with plenty of pork to help cure your hangover. There are four different types of country ham (Broadbent’s, Benton’s, Edward’s Wigwam, and Col. Newsom’s), and by ordering steamed pork buns you can do things dim sum style. The lunch prix fixe is offered every day— you get to choose three dishes for $25. And of course, there’s an obvious breakfast move, the Pork Scrapple with fried egg, Benton’s bacon, and fig mustard.

There is a different special every Saturday and Sunday, but the Holy Grail is one that we tasted at the end of January, which they made no promises to repeat: English Muffin French Toast with Thyme Rum Sabayon and Benton’s Ham. It was as if someone packed the savory flavors from the best Monte Cristo into French Toast squares just a bit smaller than tea sandwiches or conventionally cut squares of pork belly, then accented it with concentrated sweetness. As good as Buttermilk Channel’s Pecan Pie French Toast with Bourbon, Molasses, and Toasted Pecans is, this is even better.

If you need to console yourself for not being able to taste it, you could always swing through the Milk Bar for the famed Saturday and Sunday only special, the housemade English Muffin sandwich with deep-fried poached egg, caramelized onions, and lardons.

Featured Brunch: Buttermilk Channel

Maryse Chevrière — February 26, 2010

Fried Pork Chop with Cheddar Waffles.

That Buttermilk Channel is a great brunch spot is no secret— the not insignificant number of people hovering outside on Sunday at noon is an obvious reminder. You’d think there was no other place else nearby to get poached eggs or a plate of decent flapjacks! Then you see a tall stack of fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes at the adjacent table, glistening with thick, drizzled maple syrup, and you know that the hour you spent waiting wasn’t for nothing.

At dinner, the Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Cheddar Waffles is not to be missed. But at brunch, the move is its cousin— the Fried Pork Chop. It’s served with the same chewy, cheese-crusted waffles, and a side of maple syrup. Try the syrup if you want that salty-sweet effect, but you don’t actually need it and you won’t want to soften the crust. It’s like the kind on great coconut shrimp— light, not greasy, and audibly crunchy. Combined with the chop’s thinness, it really makes for an enjoyable dish.

More About Buttermilk Channel >>

Featured Brunch: Bao Noodles

Maryse Chevrière — February 19, 2010

Clockwise from top: Exterior, Pork Banh Mi with Fried Egg, Interior, and Seafood Congee.

We’ve recently enjoyed Mexican and Italian spins on breakfast sandwiches, but how about a Vietnamese rendition? Well, the Pork Banh Mi with Fried Egg is the star of Bao Noodles’ new brunch menu.

The chewy baguette is loaded with long strips of breaded, fried pork that resemble ham steak. There’s tomato, slightly sour, pickled vegetables, and two fried eggs that put this sandwich in the morning meal category. Break the yolks first and let it act a sauce. The massive portion makes it great for sharing.

The other thing to get is the Congee. It’s a warm, satisfying, stick-to-your-ribs, winter porridge. Bao Noodles serves two— one with meat (duck, pork and chicken), and the other with seafood (shrimp, crab and squid). Both are very good, but if pressed to choose between them, opt for the meat. Soy sauce and fried garlic chips are served on the side for mixing in— and you should. The salt and crunch enhance the flavor and texture.

Of the other options, the braised Pork Belly, though visually unappealing, is savory and tender. The accompanying fat-laced sticky rice is reason enough to order it. During brunch, you can also order from the regular menu. If you’re in the mood for noodles, the Beef on Rice Vermicelli is the move. Regardless, at $9.99 per person for an entrée and cocktail, brunch at Bao Noodles is a great value.

Featured Brunch: Where to Eat on Presidents’ Day

February 12, 2010

Fried Oyster Omelette at Prune.

If you have the day off and haven’t already blown all your cash on Valentine’s Day, you could do brunch on Monday. Below is a list of restaurants in neighborhoods around the City that are serving their brunch menus on Presidents’ Day.

Click for Presidents' Day Brunches >>

AlwaysPartying: Aphrodisiacs at Aquagrill

GutterGourmet — February 09, 2010

Aquagrill’s Oyster Bed.

This Valentine’s Day if you want guaranteed results (we think you know what we mean), we recommend going to Aquagrill for an Aphrodisiac Brunch. Start with a warm basket of mini-blueberry muffins and scones with butter and apricot jam. Order your valentine a Mimosa, a Bloody Mary, a Riesling or a glass of sake to further enhance the mood. Start with the “foie gras of the sea,” Japanese Monkfish liver (“ankimo”) with shaved jalapeños and fennel. Then comes the ultimate aphrodisiac, the oyster sampler— 25 varieties of East Coast and West Coast beauties. You get a list to track the oysters as you and your date slurp them up happily. Their names only add to the suggestiveness of their appearance: Canada Cups, Watch Hill, Fanny Bay and, of course, the orgasmic Hama Hamas. If that doesn’t seal the deal, walk down the block to Kee’s Chocolates for truffles. If oysters and chocolate fail, don’t lose hope— President’s Day can also be very romantic.

Featured Brunch: Ballaro

GutterGourmet — February 05, 2010

Ham and Cheese Frittata with Prosciutto di Parma.

Your new go-to for Italian brunch should be Ballaro, the Italian café and wine bar on 2nd Ave near 4th Street, named after an historic, open-air market in Palermo, Sicily. Ballaro’s cappuccino with chocolate sprinkled over the foam is among the best in class. The brunch special is an offer that you simply cannot refuse.

Choose between either the freshly-made ham and cheese frittata, or the vegetable (mushrooms, spinach, peppers and artichoke). Both frittatas rival the Spanish tortilla at Boqueria. Plus you get a mesclun salad with tomatoes, a slice of melon and your choice of sliced prosciutto di Parma or Speck dell’Alto Adige. All for $10, including the cappuccino!

Alternatively, make your own sandwich using their gourmet larder of affettati (sliced meats) and formaggi. I’m lobbying to have them name the one I made after me. The “GutterGourmet” consists of: olive oil baked focaccia warmed on the panini press, with culatello, creamy burrata made with latte di bufala, and topped with sliced stuffed hot cherry peppers. Also comes with the salad and the cappuccino for $10. Grazie mille, Ballaro!

Featured Brunch: Boqueria

GutterGourmet — January 29, 2010

Clockwise from top: Olives and Tortilla Espanola, Dátiles Con Beicon, 19th Street exterior, and Croquetas Cremosa.

Seamus Mullen may not have become the next Iron Chef (he came in third), but he has brought Spain to Manhattan’s brunch scene with his two Boqueria locations (19th Street and Spring Street).

Start with one of the best Bloody Marys in the City. It comes with a skewer of Spanish olive, fresh sardine, and guindilla pepper to add salt and heat to an already spicy Bloody Mary mix ($10). The Pimientos de Padrón are blistered shishito peppers with about every fourth one carrying intense heat. Order some with friends for a version of Spanish “Russian Roulette.”

For a more traditional brunch item, the fluffy Tortilla Espanola beats an omelet and hash browns any day. To add a side of bacon to your eggs, order the Dátiles Con Beicon, almond-stuffed dates wrapped in bacon. Need toast? Try the Cojonudo. Notwithstanding the nasty sounding name, it’s toast covered with chorizo and a fried quail egg. The Txipirones (baby squid) comes with an addictive dressing, over an arugula and radish salad, and fried chickpeas.

The Quesos Y Embutidos platter comes with a fantastic selection of cheeses (Idiazabal, the sexy nipple-shaped Tetilla, and La Serena, which is meant to be scooped with a spoon like fondue and eaten with quince paste). There are also mixed Spanish olives, grapes, pimiento, raisins, chorizo, lomo embuchado, and tomato-rubbed Pan con Tomate covered with jamón serrano. A variety of creamy Croquetas Cremosas (mushroom, chicken and more ham) and you’re set.

Don’t forget to save room for some Churros con Chocolate for dessert.

Featured Brunch: Mesa Coyoacan

Arthur Bovino — November 20, 2009

Top, Azteca Soup. Left, Chilaquiles with Poached Eggs. Right, Molletes.

If you haven’t visited Mesa Coyoacan (view) for Ivan Garcia’s Grilled Cactus, Enchiladas Verdes, and Spiced Lamb in Avocado Leaves, you’ve missed out. If you have, you know this is some of New York City’s best Mexican food. For those who prefer their Mexican with margaritas, there’s new inspiration to visit— a full liquor license was recently approved and in addition to Micheladas, Mesa now serves more than 100 Tequilas and Mezcales, as well as seven different margaritas.

What you may not know is that Mesa also does a mean brunch. The menu features the addictive Esquites (corn kernels, epazote, chile, mayo and lime juice with cotija) from dinner, a strong Huevos Rancheros, a sweet Mexican spin on pancakes with cajeta (goat milk caramel spread), and the occasional Hallah Bread ‘Pan Frances’ covering standard brunch fare.

But there are three dishes to focus on at Mesa. The first is the Molletes, Mexican grilled bread with Black Beans, Oaxaca cheese, Chorizo and Pico de Gallo. It’s like a giant Mexican bruschetta. It would be a great appetizer to share before diving into the real move at Mesa: the Chilaquiles with Poached Eggs and Salsa Ranchera, followed by the Azteca Soup with Ancho Chile, Chile Guajillo, Queso Fresco and Avocado. They’re warm and spicy, but soft on the stomach and extremely satisfying.

For more pictures of dishes at Mesa Coyoacan check out its restaurant page here.

Featured Brunch: Daniel Boulud Does Brunch

The Gluttoness — November 06, 2009

Summer Fruit Parfait with Yogurt, Granola and Berries, $9.00.

Hot off the heels of its two-star review from The Times, DBGB Kitchen & Bar (view) has experienced the expected surge in business, and not only during prime dinner hours. Turns out it’s not all about the sausages, especially during brunch, when DBGB serves sweeter delights like Belgian Waffles topped with chocolate or berries and whipped cream, and a Fruit Parfait featuring figs, yogurt and granola. You can still order a juicy Yankee Burger, and those sausages (nine varieties) well, they get even better— any of them can be topped with two eggs, any style for $6.00.

Breakfast favorites abound, whether you’re looking for Brioche French Toast, a simple stuffed omelette in the velvety, uncolored French style, or poached eggs “en cocotte” with caramelized onions, mushrooms and bubbly Gruyère. Best of all is the classic Croque Madame, topped with an oozing sunny-side egg, and the super crisp, triangular hash brown cakes served in a miniature iron skillet.

For little kids, the horribly hungover and serious sweet tooths alike, nothing will end your bountiful brunch on a better note than DBGB Kitchen & Bar’s spectacular sundaes. There’s a Cassis Beer Yogurt with Speculoos Cookie, Rainbow Meringue, and Black Currant Compote too. But for the sake of the season you might consider the Caramel-Cider (with braised apple, marshmallow and oatmeal crumble). Of course, it’s impossible to go wrong with the indulgent chocolate chip cookie and brownie-flecked Coffee Mocha. Looks like Daniel Boulud has spent some quality time with a pint of Half Baked.

Haven’t we all.

AlwaysInvestigating: Hangover Cures

The Hungry Goat — October 16, 2009

Left, Resto’s Belgian Hangover Pasta. Right, Chef Sebastiaan’s Hangover Cure from Bar Blanc Bistro.

Unless you’re an 18-year-old college frat boy, chances are you don’t go out drinking with the intention of getting a massive hangover the next morning. However, in honor of Fergus Henderson’s hangover brunch at The Breslin tomorrow (part of FergusStock ’09), we thought it appropriate to do exactly that. The goal? To see whether Resto’s Belgian Hangover Pasta and Chef Sebastiaan’s Hangover Cure at Bar Blanc Bistro could actually deliver on curing a hangover. A friend’s birthday dinner on a recent Saturday night was the perfect set-up for putting these dishes to the test.

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AlwaysInformed: Izz Nat Your Average Deli

The Gluttoness — October 14, 2009

Challah French Toast with Caramelized Bananas and Maple Butter.

Every neighborhood has its advantages, and while there is much I love about living way downtown, the lack of an authentic delicatessen has always been a problem. We’ve got Bubby’s and Kitchenette, my TriBeCa brunch staples, but while you may be able to order a Matzoh Ball Soup there, at neither place can you find a towering sandwich a la Katz’s. Gold St.‘s 24-hour diner concept was overthought, particularly the inclusion of a sushi bar, and ultimately, the food sucked. A good deli has to stay simple and classic. Izzy & Nat’s (view) successfully brings that authentic deli experience to Battery Park City.

The front of house is essentially your average bagelry (a luxury TriBeCa and the FiDi now have thanks to Zucker’s and Leo’s) with hand-rolled bagels, smoked fish, cold salads and schmears. The black and white tiles and leather booths give the dining room that old school deli flair. A lengthy menu provides a problem that I actually like to have—too many options—and the Fair Trade Organic Coffee, imported from Chile, is one of the best cups of joe I’ve had in a while.

On a recent visit, I thought I wanted lox and a bagel, but Challah French Toast and a Pastrami Benny kept luring my attention with promises of caramelized bananas and creamy hollandaise. Then there are all the Jewish staples: Kasha Varnishkes, Potato Pancakes, Matzoh Brie and Sweet and Sour Meatballs—not to mention a house-made Meat Knish with pastrami! Holy heaven. Should I make my own sandwich or settle for the always-satisfying Reuben? I decided on a towering Turkey Pastrami on Rye (right) and a warm slice of Chocolate Babka, which hit the deli spot. The meal tasted even better for having been able to devour it just a few blocks from home.

AlwaysNYCWFF: 100-Mile Brunch

The Gluttoness — October 12, 2009

Plate with food from the Farm to Table 100 Mile Brunch buffet.

The New York City Wine & Food Festival’s (site) 100-Mile Brunch on Sunday at the NYC Fire Museum was the last of Great Performances’ 100 Mile Menu events. A string quartet set the festive ambiance for diners to feast on October’s bounty straight from Great Performances’ Katchkie Farm.

“People have clear brunch expectations,” explained Great Performances’ CEO and AHNY favorite, Liz Neumark. That’s why she made sure to include staples such as pancakes and Eggs Benedict. But Executive Chef Chris Harkness was most excited by the Meiller’s Farm Lamb en Croûte.

Click Here for the 100-Mile Brunch Dish-by-Dish >>

Featured Brunch: Spina’s Lox & Pasta

The Gluttoness — September 25, 2009

Farfalle with Smoked Salmon and Cream, $12.

It’s becoming more and more common for carbonara to appear on brunch menus. Since bacon and eggs are commonplace for breakfast anyway, it makes sense to skip the toast and serve them with pasta instead. Prune was one of the first restaurants to serve this traditional Roman dish in the morning, and innumerable restaurants have since followed suit.

Spina (restaurant page), the East Village’s new (and fantastic) fresh pasta house, is the latest to offer carbonara for brunch. Between Blanca’s (formerly of I Trulli) impeccable pastas and Chef Roberto Patriarca’s (right) sensational sauces, it’s no surprise that their Orecchiette Carbonara is spot-on. The al dente ears cup the creamy sauce and thin, crisp slabs of salty guanciale. Subtly seasoned with pepper and nutmeg, the decadent flavors deepen in intensity as the sauce settles, making each bite more delicious as you get to the bottom.

While the carbonara is a success, and a surefire hangover cure, the real star of the brunch pastas is the Farfalle with Smoked Salmon and Cream, Spina’s clever twist on two other classic breakfast ingredients: lox and cream cheese. Not only is the presentation incredibly beautiful, but it’s revelatory in other ways. First, the farfalle, a pasta that’s hardly ever handcrafted, is like twisted shards of velvety pappardelle. The silken cream sauce lusciously lacquers the delicate, unstructured bowties. It’s heavy in taste yet remarkably airy on the palate, accented by the meaty bits of smoked salmon that saunter amongst the pasta. The sumptuous execution of this classic flavor is reminiscent of Sarabeth’s Goldie Lox omelette, a favorite here at AlwaysHungryNY.com, although Sarabeth’s eggs can’t really hold a candle to Blanca’s farfalle. If you’re looking for something familiar but different, Spina’s lox and pasta beats a bagel any day.